The Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State on Cocoa Development, Dr Oscar Ofuka, last Monday said that his re-election on the March 9 would strengthen cocoa production in the state.
Ofuka told newsmen in Calabar that Ayade’s re-election meant that all the programmes on the crop would go on as planned.
According to him, the governor was committed to taking cocoa to the highest level in the state.
“Ayade’s re-election is a good omen for the state, especially in the area of cocoa development.
”The multi-million naira Cocoa Processing Plant at Ikom is almost ready.
“When fully operational, Cross River will meet its target of producing 500,000 tonnes of the crop yearly. Apart from the plant, there are other huge investments in the cash crop by the administration of Ben Ayade,” Ofuka said.
He lauded the governor’s foresight in developing the cocoa, which he described as a critical part of the state’s economy.
According to the special adviser, the state would live virtually on proceeds from cocoa in the next four years.
Ofuka noted that the Cocoa Development Office would continue to plant the crop at every nook and cranny of the state in line with the governor’s vision of making it the mainstay of its economy.
He said that the governor had started several other developmental programmes, which had positively affected the lives of the people of the state, hence his re-election was well-deserved.
